JUNE 14-20, 2018 FACEBOOK.COM/WHATZUPFTWAYNE // WWW.WHATZUP.COM ----------------------- Feature • Al Di Meola --------------------- Master of the Guitar By Deborah Kennedy tar player. In the early 80s, he turned more toward the electric side of things, writing and recording Electric Like Mozart, New Jersey-born guitarist Al Di Rendezvous and Scenario, which included the key- Meola has sometimes been criticized for playing too board work of Jan Hammer, who would go on to com- many notes. The criticism is actually a compliment in pose the theme to the television show Miami Vice. disguise. Di Meola, who will be at the Clyde Theater Guitar in all its forms is Di Meola’s primary pas- Wednesday, June 20 at 7 p.m., is able to blaze through sion. He also loves to collaborate with other artists, and songs so quickly, listeners are often left stunned by his in 1980, he teamed up with flamenco guitarist Paco de passion, technique and precision. Lucia and British fusion guitarist John McLaughlin to Di Meola grew up in Bergenfield, New Jersey and release Friday Night in San Francisco, a beloved and began playing guitar at eight years old. His love of popular live recording of three musicians at the top of Elvis inspired him to pick up the instrument. Later, he their game. became an enthusi- Since then, ast for jazz, country Di Meola has played and bluegrass. Still with basically ev- later, he enrolled eryone, including at the prestigious Paul Simon, Car- Berklee College of los Santana, Steve Music in Boston, Winwood, Herbie and his education Hancock, Stevie continued when, at Wonder, Les Paul, age 19, he was re- Jimmy Page, Frank cruited by keyboard- Zappa and Luciano ing and composing Pavarotti. legend Chick Corea In the 90s, to take Bill Connors’ Di Meola became place in Return to a master of mixing Forever, one of the together a wide ar- leading jazz fusion ray of styles and bands of the 1970s. influences to make Di Meola a sound all his own. doesn’t consider A tireless student, himself a prodigy, he familiarized even though he did himself with Brazil- begin playing and ian, Middle Eastern performing live as a child. AL DI MEOLA and African music, as well as He told Downbeat Maga- 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 20 tango and other Latin Ameri- zine that a lot of hard work The Clyde Theatre can genres. The 1991 release, was involved in becoming World Sinfonia, ushered in a proficient with the guitar 1808 Bluffton Rd., Fort Wayne new era for the artist, and it and in becoming comfort- $30-$39.50 thru Wooden Nickel climbed to the No. 10 spot on able with who he was as a Music, Neat Neat Neat Music & the Billboard Chart of Con- musician and young man: Records, www.clydetheatre.com, temporary Jazz albums. Two “I used to practice the gui- years after that, he put out its tar eight to ten hours a day, or 800-514-3849 follow-up, World Sinfonia II: and I was trying to find my- Heart of the Immigrants. self, or find the kind of music that suited where I was The World Sinfonia name is also given to a pan- going with the guitar.” global group Di Meola, the child of Italian immigrants, He credits his upbringing and native soil with formed with the help of guitarist Chris Carrington, per- helping shape his musical identity, and told NJ.com cussionist Arto Tuncboyaciyan, conga player Gumbi that he traveled into the Big Apple as often as he could Oritz, and bandonean player Dino Saluzzi, in order to as a teen to soak up the city’s seemingly endless cul- explore another side of his talent. tural richness. In October 2000, World Sinfonia put out The “The advantages were tremendous, to grow up in Grande Passion, which, according to Todd S. Jenkins a suburb of New York City in the 60s, when music was of All About Jazz, is Di Meola at his most ambitious exploding and the industry was vibrant and for me to and effective :“Concentrating on the richness of these catch all those Latin, rock and jazz shows on a weekly selections, one gets the impression that Di Meola is basis, I was there, just absorbing.” fully in love with the world and all it has to offer. Di Meola was with Corea, Stanley Clarke and Middle Eastern and Latin percussionists collaborate Lenny White when Return to Forever achieved the and bear sweet fruit; austere strings and piano plunge height of its commercial success, putting out three Top into gypsy fire and emerge anew like the phoenix, vi- 40 albums in less than six years. The band broke up in brantly reborn.” 1976, and Di Meola pursued a solo career, putting out High praise, indeed. And Di Meola has never Land of the Midnight Sun that same year and Elegant slowed down. He has never stopped writing or record- Gypsy a year later. The latter album, a heady blend of ing and now, at age 63, has 25 solo studio albums to jazz fusion, flamenco, and Mediterranean music, went his credit. That doesn’t count collaborations or live Gold. albums or those for which he served as producer. In Casino and Splendido Hotel followed, as did 2013, he released All Your Life, an acoustic tribute to a loyal and dedicated fan base which embraced Di the Beatles whom, he says on his website, influenced Meola’s versatility. Di Meola was quickly making a name for himself as both an acoustic and electric gui- Continued on page 4 2 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- www.whatzup.com ---------------------------------------------------------------- June 14, 2018 WhatzUp_BuskerFest18Ad_4.5x10.5_053118.pdf 1 5/31/18 11:49 AM whatzup Volume 22, Number 44 ermanfest’s behind us, BBQ Ribfest is upon us and both BuskerFest and the Three Rivers Festival are right around the corner. Yes, it’s summer in the Summit City. (Here’s a factoid for you: Fort Wayne got the nickname G“Summit City” because it was the highest point above sea level along the entire 460-mile route of the Wabash and Erie Canal which linked the Great Lakes and the Ohio River back in the 1850s ... but we digress.) More to the point, summer is the summit of the concert and festival season here in Fort Wayne, and we’re doing our best to both keep up and keep you informed from our little corner of the world. What you’re holding (or viewing on whatever screen you’re looking at) is the most timely and comprehensive compendium of “what there is to do” in northeast Indiana that you’re going to find anywhere. Start with GearFest, Sweetwater’s annual event that draws musicians and fans from around the world. Steve Penhollow’s cover story is on page 5, and if you go to whatzup.com and enter “gearfest” in the search bar, you’ll find a full sched- ule of events, each with a little calendar button that allows you to send yourself reminders so you don’t miss anything. After that, keep going because there’s more. Lots more, both within these 20 pages and online at whatzup.com. All of it brought to you absolutely free. All we ask in return is that you get out and have some fun and, while you’re out there, remember to tell one and all that whatzup sent you. Thanks. inside the issue • features FARE WARNING ............................. 11 Moment Premieres at Hobnobben ROAD NOTEZ .................................. 12 AL DI MEOLA ................................................2 FLIX ................................................. 17 Master of the Guitar Ocean’s 8 THE AGEN FAMILY TRIO ............................4 SCREENTIME ................................. 17 Family That Sings Together Sequels Failing to Cut It at Box GEARFEST ...................................................5 CURTAIN CALL ................................ 18 All About the Sound A Little Night Music LITTLE RIVER BAND ...................................6 Comings & Goings • calendars • columns & reviews LIVE MUSIC & COMEDY ....................8 MUSIC/ON THE ROAD .................... 12 SPINS ................................................7 Dr. Dog, Connecticut’s Landing ROAD TRIPZ ................................... 16 BACKTRACKS ...................................7 STAGE & DANCE ............................ 18 Fuse, Fuse (1970) ART & ARTIFACTS .......................... 18 OUT AND ABOUT ...............................8 THINGS TO DO ............................... 19 Even More Concerts to Consider PICKS ............................................. 10 Cover by Brandon Jordan Zoso Zoso photo on page 10 by Jeff Schad Free Movies Foellinger Outdoor Theatre 3411 Sherman Blvd., Fort Wayne Despicable Me Wednesday, July 5 • 7:30 pm Free movies brought to you by: June 14, 2018 ------------------------------------------------------------------ www.whatzup.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------3 BROUGHT TO YOU BY: ----------------------------- Feature • Agen Family Trio ---------------------------- 103.3 The Fort ............................................................... 17 Allen County Public Library / Rock the Plaza ................ 9 Arena Dinner Theatre / A Little Night Music ................ 18 Beatles vs. Stones ............................................................ 5 Audiences Unlimited / Agen Family Trio ...................... 15 BBQ RibFest ....................................................................... 9 Family That Sings Together C2G Live ........................................................................... 11 By Michele DeVinney doubt helped Addision last fall as she com- me to learn about it all when I still have my C2G Music Hall................................................................ 13 peted in The Voice and was runner-up in the